SOURCE: Ausaf, Ummat, Daily Pak, Nawa-i-Waqt, Urdu Point, Daily Jinnah, Awami Awaz, Daily Dharti, Jasarat, Kawish, Daily Intekhab, Daily Times, Jang, Ibrat, Khabrain, Roznama Dunya, Hizb Media, Al Qalam Weekly, Baad-e-Shimal, Bang-e-Sahar.

CHINA
1. Former COAS Gen Mirza Aslam Beg stated that China’s backing made it possible for the Pakistan Army to become a modern military which was capable of fighting for forty days and is now considered in the world as a strong and professional military. Beg referred to ‘Inland Water Transportation’ which was presented by the World Bank in 1994 and stated that in 2011 he had presented the same project in front of the Chinese Ambassador. Beg claimed this project would be helpful for CPEC and would increase the capacities of water reservoirs for Pakistan. (Jasarat)
POST-MANSOOR KILLING
1.The Afghan Taliban has appointed Mullah Haibatullah Akhunzada as their new chief while Sirajuddin Haqqani and Mullah Omer’s son Mullah Yaqub have made deputy supreme leaders. Mullah Yaqub is considered as the only leader in Taliban who could again bring together all the factions. Haibatullah would serve only for some time now. (Daily Pak, Kawish)
2. Director of Institute of Strategies Studies General Masood Khan had said that with the death of Taliban leader Mullah Mansoor Akhtar, Pakistan’s influence over the Taliban will be affected. Speaking with an American news agency Masood further said that the death of Mullah Mansoor will not only affect peace process in Afghanistan but the confidence level between Pakistan and Taliban will also reduce. (Jasarat)
3. Chairman of Afghan Senate Fazal Hadi Muslimyar had claimed that Pakistan had trapped Mullah Mansoor to reduce pressure of America and stated that for some time Pakistan was also deprived of US monetary help. (Jasarat)
IRAN-CHABAHAR PORT
1. Iran and Afghanistan joining hands with Pakistan’s no. 1 enemy India is disturbing to say the least. Pakistan Government should revisit its foreign policy before it is too late. (Nawa-i-Waqt)
2. Nazir Naji, while strongly criticising Pakistan’s lack of foreign policy, expressed concern over Iran’s Chabahar Port. He constantly warned his readers of the port’s progress. Pakistan supporting the US since the days of the Cold War has not worked. Naji writes that Indian policy was to prolong dialogues at the Security Council and strengthen its hold on AJK and it has succeeded at all stages. Today at the Security Council, Pakistan has no support on Kashmir since India has succeeded in labelling Kashmiris’ freedom struggle as terrorism. Pakistan has failed to build relations with Russia and now the US has also changed its stance, though Pakistan spoiled its relations with other countries because of the US. Though Pakistan has strategic relations with China, they cannot be termed as defence relations. Individual and military rulers had set their own priorities against India. As for the present government, it is neither completely democratic nor its victory in election totally honest. Naji is also critical of Afghan Mujahideen working against Pakistan who were engineered by Pakistan. He is apprehensive that one day cooperation will established between Afghan Mujahideen and India, as India already enjoys support from Afghan leaders. (Roznama Dunya)
UNITED STATES
1. Former Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said that Musharraf was responsible for American drone attacks inside Pakistan and he had put Pakistan’s sovereignty at stake. (Pk Voices)
2. Milli Yakjehti Council and JuD have announced a protest on May 27th against the US drone attack. (Roznama Dunya, Khabrain, Ausaf, Jasarat)
3. The US is least perturbed by Pakistan’s protests. Further such drone attacks will have a negative impact on quadrilateral efforts to establish peace in Afghanistan and also on Pak-US cooperation against terrorism. Mullah Mansoor was coming from Iran and the US could have attacked him in Iran but did not do so since it knew that if it made drone attack in Iran then it will face severe consequences. This is not because Iran is very powerful or has a huge cache of weapons, but because Iranian leadership is free of any corruption and Iran is not dependent on the US. Pakistan could not complete the gas pipe line agreement with Iran, but despite US sanctions, India continued to buy oil from Iran. (Roznama Dunya)
4. The US announcement of continuing drone attacks in Pakistan is strongly criticized as it will have a negative impact on quadrilateral efforts for peace dialogue between Afghan government and Taliban. (Jang)
5. Notwithstanding the fact that those killed in the American drone attacks included Taliban leader, Mullah Akhtar, these drone attacks are not acceptable because they are an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. (Ibrat)
6. The US drones attacks in Pakistan have been condemned by Russia but such a condemnation should have been come from the Pakistani PM. Pakistan should not depend on the US and should review all other similar operations. The US is playing a double game as on the one hand it provides India with weapons and technology and on the other hand, it is delaying a defence pact with Pakistan. (Ausaf)
7. Daily Pak writes: American drone attacks inside Pakistan and the Government’s denial of consent for the same is concerning. Such acts could further undermine relations between America and Pakistan and would further affect the Afghan peace process. America should take the Pakistan government into confidence first for any such activity. China should take the initiative in handling the situation with regard to the peace process. (Daily Pak)
INDIA
1. Indian PM’s recent visit to Iran was aimed at pushing back Pakistan and weakening CPEC. (Ibrat)
2. The trade corridor agreement signed by India with Iran and Afghanistan is worrisome because the purpose of the deal is to reach Afghanistan and Europe, bypassing Pakistan. India was upset with the CPEC project and since Iran also considered Gwadar port a threat to its Chabahar and Bandar Abbas ports, it has joined with Indian interests, though Iran should have considered Pakistan’s interests also. (Jang)
3. India is destabilizing Pakistan by establishing good relationships with Pakistan’s neighbours. Indian consulates in Afghanistan have been providing resources to create terrorism in Pakistan. Before finalizing the Chabahar Port pact with Iran, an Indian Navy official was arrested for spying in Pakistan. When there were clashes between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia over sending Pakistani troops to Yemen and there was a clash with a UAE Minister who had spoken rudely to Pakistan, then the Indian PM set out to visit to Saudi Arabia and Gulf countries to take advantage of these disputes. When Pakistan signed the CPEC agreement with China, India and the US tried to delay the project by conspiring together. Financing the Chabahar was reducing the importance of the Gwadar Port. Ahead of the Indian PM’s visit to Iran an oil debt of 6 billion Euro instead of dollars was paid via an Italian bank to Iran. The purpose of this was increasing the gap between Iran and Pakistan. The Pakistani government should appoint a foreign minister to foil India’s relationships with Iran and other Gulf nations. (Khabrain)
4. Jasarat writes: New alliance is being formed in the region and Pakistan is not anywhere in this new alliance in spite of being a strategically important country. It seems that new alliances are in fact a pact against Pakistan. Pakistan has never had good ties with India but now Indian friendship with Afghanistan and Iran has increased; the foreign policy of India can be seen as successful whereas Pakistan has done nothing on the foreign policy level in regard to regional politics. Pakistan does not have a foreign ministry as this portfolio is with PM Nawaz Sharif who is busy in London with his personal affairs. How can Iran enjoy ties with Indian PM Modi who is known as a butcher of Muslims? (Jasarat)
ARMY/SECURIY FORCES
1. The Pakistan Army has decided to construct a new General Head Quarters (GHQ) and has paid Rs.7 billion to Civil Development Authority (CDA) for land acquisition. The new GHQ would be built in the E-Series Sector of Pakistan Naval Head Quarters and Pakistan Air Force Headquarters in Islamabad. (Daily Pak)
TERRORISM & EXTREMISM
1. Helping Hand’s Country Director Fazlur Rahman said that Al-Khidmat Foundation has been doing a fantastic job in public welfare in Gilgit-Baltistan and urged the government to support its cause. (Baad-e-Shimal)
2. Pakistan Ulema Council Sindh Chief Maulana Assad Zakarya said that anti-Islamic forces were conspiring to the destabilize Pakistan ignoring all its sacrifices in the war on terror. He condemned American drone attack in the Red Zone in Balochistan and called it an attack on Pakistan’s sovereignty. He also mentioned that every prudent Pakistani was forced to think that such drone attacks were either because of the weaknesses of the Pakistani Government or the leadership itself was involved for vested interests. (Daily K2)
POLITICAL SCENE
1. JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman held a five-hour long meeting with PPP leader and former President Asif Ali Zardari and delivered Nawaz Sharif’s message. He suggested that Zardari hold a meeting with Nawaz Sharif. Both leaders agreed on not allowing the system to be derailed. (Khabrain)
2. Senior analysts Mazhar Abbas, Salim Safi, Wajahat Masood, Babar Sattar, Hasan Nisar and others speaking at a Geo program, said that Asif Ali Zardari will support the government in bailing out Nawaz Sharif. But if there is a direct meeting between Zardari and Sharif under the current situation, then it will create a rift with the PPP. Fazlur Rahman will manage to get the bail out without any direct meeting between the two leaders. (Jang)
POK/ G-B NEWS
1. Gilgit-Baltistan Police have started patrolling Karakoram Highway for the security of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) Project. 10 police wagons would be patrolling the road. (Baad-e-Shimal)
2. Talking to the Son and Daughter of Prince Karim Agha Khan, Gilgit-Baltistan CM Hafizur Rahman said that all the 1500 vacancies in Health Department would be filled on merit basis. A free dialysis facility would be given in all hospitals. (Daily K2, Baad-e-Shimal)
3. A new 50 -bed Agha Khan Medical Center was inaugurated by Prince Rahim and Princess Fatima Zahra in Gilgit. (Daily K2)